Venerari

We opened Venerari on the ground floor of the Strand Arcade in 2004 upon returning to Australia after a decade of living in the UK/US. We were determined to provide an alternative to branded mass-produce diamond-dominated fine jewellery in Australia. We specialised in modern designs using coloured gems, and we reinvented the approach to setting opal (no marsupials around the gems!).

We realised that the only way we could continue to run a shop, and make the things we liked, was to make them more cheaply – offshore, in large runs, using lesser metals, cheaper gems. That took away the process of working with clients, and of making, which was the part of the business we loved. So we shut the shop and now make to order.

In addition, we make some pieces to sell, and sometimes we find quirky vintage pieces that we think our 6,000 past customers (and their friends) will like.